An exclusive welcome to the Corinium Museum (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

An exclusive welcome to the Corinium Museum

The newly-refurbished Corinium Museum offers a fascinating evening out exclusively to Cotswold Essence readers. See the end of this article for details!

A stunning two-year transformation has turned the Corinium Museum, Cirencester, into a must-see attraction for Cotswold families - and visitors from around the world.

The museum re-opened it doors last autumn after a £5m refurbishment, which saw 5,000 people cross the threshold in the first two weeks alone. The building, in Park Street, Cirencester closed in 2001 to undergo the makeover, doubling its size and allowing many fascinating treasures to go on show for the first time.

The new look, funded by owners Cotswold District Council (£1.775m), the Heritage Lottery Fund (£2.725m) and donations through the Cotswold Museums Charitable Trust, has impressed everyone who has seen it.

Surveys and feedback show that 97 percent of visitors rated their visit as excellent or very good!

The museum traces the story of the Cotswolds from Prehistory to the late 19th Century, with hands-on exhibits, interactive displays and a wealth of precious artefacts.

There are animated and practical games, and audio-visual screens to bring the past to life for everyone from schoolchildren to grandparents.

Special emphasis is placed on the town's Roman heritage, reflecting Cirencester's importance as the second biggest Roman town, Corinium, outside London.

The Roman collection is now spread over two floors and includes marvellous mosaics, tombstones and sculpture as well as room and shop reconstructions and objects from everyday Roman life.

A dramatic new Anglo-Saxon gallery has been created to house the finds - including rare gold pendants - from the cemetery uncovered at Butler's Field, Lechlade, in 1985.

Here, visitors come face to face with their ancestors in the shape of a forensically-reconstructed Anglo-Saxon man and child who were among the 219 bodies.

The centrepiece of this new gallery is the reconstruction of the grave of 'Mrs Getty', the 6th Century Anglo-Saxon 'princess' so nicknamed because of the 500 treasures buried with her.

Facial anthropologist Dr Caroline Wilkinson, the expert behind BBC2's Meet The Ancestors, has painstakingly reconstructed Mrs Getty's head from clues yielded by her skull.

Now, complete with body, clothes and hair, Mrs Getty appears laid out in her coffin with replicas of her 'grave goods'. The originals - around 1,500 years old - are on display in a secure case nearby.

The revamped medieval gallery focuses on the impact that the wool trade had on the town of Cirencester and its Abbey - the second largest Augustinian foundation in the country.

Although almost completely destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries, it has left a wealth of sculpture and architectural carvings.

As well as new galleries and exhibits, the museum also has a re-designed entrance and reception area, a new, bigger shop and a fully-equipped Lifelong Learning Centre for school use, talks, seminars, lectures and community functions.

Cotswold District Council's Head of Museum Services Dr John Paddock said: "We are immensely proud of the new-look museum and very pleased with the numbers of people who have come to visit us from all over the globe.

"We are extremely encouraged by the comments made and know that the displays and interactive games are a hit with people of all ages. Its success can only be good news for Cirencester and the Cotswolds"

EXCLUSIVE READER OFFER

Have you taken time out to visit the new Corinium Museum? Cotswold District Council is offering readers of Cotswold Essence an exclusive opportunity to view the museum and its collections 'after hours' at 6.30pm on Thursday, June 9.

Participants will be offered a glass of wine, then shown to the purpose-built lecture theatre for an illustrated talk by Dr Paddock on the Anglo-Saxon finds from Butler's Field, Lechlade, including the reconstruction of Mrs Getty. You will then be given time to tour the museum.

The cost per ticket is £7.50. Numbers are strictly limited to 70, so booking is essential by telephoning the museum on 01285 655611.